1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a rod holder for use to hold a middle portion of one or more rods each having a circular cross section, such as a fuel pipe or a pipe for air-conditioner refrigerant or the like, and to fix them to a mounting part, and more particularly to the rod holder wherein the rods having different diameters can be reliably held by means of a single holder.
2. Description of the Related Art
One of the conventional rod holders of the above type is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent No. 2572364.
The conventional rod holder is so constructed to include a single or a plurality of holding parts each having an insertion inlet for the rod and a base part. Each of these holding parts has the base part provided with a projecting fitting portion for fixing a holder body to mounting parts which are curved in an arcuate shape to face with each other, side wall portions vertically extending from both sides of the base part, tongue pieces respectively extending from upper ends of the side wall portions inwardly into the insertion inlet toward an axis of the inserted rod, and a pair of retaining pieces for receiving the rod extending from the side wall portions so as to be gradually downwardly inclined into the holding part and formed in an arcuate shape facing with each other.
However, the conventional rod holder has had such drawbacks that because the retaining pieces for retaining the rod is constructed to extend from the side wall portions so as to be gradually downwardly inclined into the holding part, a deflection amount of the retaining pieces is very small when the rod is press-fitted into the holding part. Moreover, because the retaining pieces are constructed to flex together with the side wall portions which have also small deflection amount, a very large pressing force is required when a large-diameter rod is pressed in, which makes it difficult to assemble the rod.
This invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the invention is to provide a rod holder which can hold even a large-diameter rod with a small pressing force, by providing the tongue pieces and the retaining pieces for retaining the rod independently and elastically displaceably, and the rods having either a small diameter or a large diameter can be easily held by a single rod holder.
In order to achieve the above described object, according to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a rod holder for clamping one or more rod provided with at least one holding part having an insertion inlet and a base part which is a rest seat for receiving each of the rods, characterized in that the holder includes a holder body having the base part and a pair of side wall portions which vertically extend from the base part in parallel to each other, tongue pieces respectively extending from upper ends of the side wall portions inwardly into the insertion inlet, and flexibly displaceably retaining pieces for receiving the rod extending from the base part to an interior of the holding part to elastically press the inserted rod toward the tongue pieces, the retaining pieces including vertical portions extending from the base part independently of and in parallel to the side wall portions, and arcuate retaining portions bent back from the vertical portions to support a lower part of the rod.
Therefore, in the rod holder according to the first aspect of the invention, because the tongue pieces and the retaining pieces for retaining the rod are independently and flexibly displaceably formed, even a large-diameter rod can be pressed in and held with a small pressing force, and further, the rods having either a small diameter or a large diameter can be easily held by means of a single holder.
According to a second aspect of the invention, in order to improve the engaging force when the large-diameter article is held, the base part is provided with a pair of push-up force assisting pieces which are slightly oriented upwardly facing with each other.